Plant Photosensory Receptor CRY2 Signaling Mechanism

描述（由申请人提供）：生物体如何对光做出反应以及感光受体如何介导光反应是生物学中影响人类健康的一些最基本的问题。隐花色素（Cryptochromes，CRY）是一种存在于细菌、植物和动物（包括人类）体内的蓝光/UV-A光受体，但其分子机制尚不清楚。本实验室以拟南芥为模型系统，研究了植物发育过程中的信号转导机制，其中包括拟南芥的BMP 1和BMP 2调控。我们最近首次在植物中鉴定了蓝光依赖的蛋白质。我们建议以三个具体的目标继续研究BMP 1和BMP 2信号传导机制。首先，我们建议研究如何相互作用的蛋白质调节转录，mRNA的出口，和蛋白质的稳定性。其次，我们计划研究CRY对细胞类型特异性基因表达变化的调节。第三，我们提出鉴定和表征影响蓝光诱导的CIB 2降解和蓝光抑制的CIB 1降解的基因。Cryptochromes（CRY）是一种蓝色/UV-A光受体，调节植物发育和人类健康。我们建议研究CRY相互作用蛋白质以及它们如何介导CRY调控基因表达以响应光。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): How organisms respond to light and how photosensory receptors mediate light responses are some of the most basic questions in biology that affect human health. Cryptochromes (CRY) are blue/UV-A light receptors found in bacteria, plants, and animals including human, but the molecular mechanisms of CRYs remain not well understood. My laboratory uses Arabidopsis as the model system to study signaling mechanisms underlying CRY1 and CRY2 regulation of plant development. We recently identified, for the first time, blue light-dependent CRY-interacting proteins in plants. We propose to continue study CRY1 and CRY2 signaling mechanisms with three specific aims. First, we propose to investigate how CRY-interacting proteins regulate transcription, mRNA export, and protein stability. Second, we plan to investigate CRY regulation of cell-type- specific gene expression changes. Third, we propose to identify and characterize genes affecting blue light-induced CRY2 degradation and blue light- suppressed CIB1 degradation. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Cryptochromes (CRY) are blue/UV-A light receptors regulating plant development and human health. We propose to study CRY-interacting proteins and how they mediate CRY regulation of gene expression in response to light.